Messy Summer

Summer is getting messy. It's hot, sticky and hasn't rained in weeks; the front yard is a dust storm waiting to happen. Our current projects include chopping down trees and brush, pouring concrete and digging in the dirt.

Here S and his dad mix concrete for the slab for our propane tank and heat pumps.

Our lives are also getting very messy this summer, but in a good way I think. I'm going through a pretty major career change (by choice) as of late, so starting next Monday I will be working full-time for a local non-profit while staying on part-time with my current employer in the evenings. Both of the jobs are very writing-intensive, so my brain will be getting quite a workout for however long this arrangement lasts. Advance apologies if my blog posts get shorter and less intelligible.

Anyway, my heart has been leading me to make the transition back into the non-profit sector for awhile, and I really think this change will help me to feel more "at home" here as I will be working in an office environment again (after two years of telecommuting) and meeting more local people. Needless to say I am really excited for this new opportunity, but I'm admittedly nervous about working two jobs and how that will affect our progress on the house and life as we know it in general. The anticipation of things is usually tougher than the reality of them, so I am confident that we'll make it work like we always do.

Other things that are making our summer messy:

• S will be starting a new position at his company this month too, which will probably mean less free time for fun/house projects during his adjustment period.
• We're teaching a Sunday School class full of awesomely rambunctious 3 and 4 year olds all summer. It's impeding our travel plans (which is probably good!) and is yet another thing to keep us busy, but we are having a blast.
• In a couple short weeks, my BFF from high school will be coming to stay with us for 3 weeks to do one of her PA school rotations. Wish her luck since she, like most people, is used to living in places that have kitchens and quality internet connections. It will be nice to have her around during all the craziness though, especially since she'll be doing her psych rotation and will help to keep me sane! ☺

So that's how our summer is shaping up, despite our plans to be totally kitchen-focused and keep everything else simple. (Ha!) I've learned by now that flexibility is critical; it can be detrimental to your progress and your happiness to get too attached to your plans. So our outdoor projects have gained importance over our kitchen lately... so what? It all needs to be done at some point. So what if all these crazy events are happening at once? Sometimes being extra busy helps you to become extra productive. I need that extra motivation sometimes, don't you? Even if it does feel a little messy.